NEWS AND NEAT STUFF - December 24th, 2014

Was it a publicity stunt that got out of control? Was North Korea really pissed? Who knows. Either way, THE INTERVIEW is available to watch starting today. Youtube, Xbox, and Google Play are renting it to the public for $5.99 a pop, with an option to but for $14.99. Rumors of Netflix picking it up are circulating as well. Not a bad deal when you think about it, given theater ticket prices these days. It's also now hitting theaters on Christmas day as originally planned. At this point I'm so sick of hearing about the film i could almost care less. THE BONUS MATERIAL's Thom Carnell had to say this on his Facebook page about it all this morning -
"Here's the thing... it is not patriotic to rush out to see this pile of shit. It's not noble. It's telling Kim Jun Dick a single thing. This is Sony making a literal silk purse out of sow's ear. They made a film that they KNEW was inflammatory and, when things indeed caught fire, they now stand with a giant basket in which they'll collect the money from "Muricans." The film is shit. You KNOW it's shit... and yet, the lines are already forming. Like it was some sort of statement to the Evil in the world that good people won't stand for any sawed-off dictator prohibiting us from watching our shitty movies! It's ridiculous... and, unfortunately, feeds into the minds of those that thought this was all a publicity stunt anyway. So, yeah... Fuck THE INTERVIEW. Fuck Sony. And fuck these P.T. Barnum-like tactics that suggest you aren't patriotic if you don't go see this crapheap. Me... I'm staying home"
Well said Thommy Boy, well said. Moving on...

Last Thursday, December 18'th, director Jason Rietman recasts THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK, for one of his Live Readings series, and it's brilliant sounding. Aaron Paul (BREAKING BAD) as Luke Skywalker. JK Simmons as Darth Vader. Jessica Alba as Princes Leia. Ellen Page as...wait for it...han Solo (probably due to her work in the LGBT community...inspired!). Dennis Haysbert as Lando Calrissian. Kevin Pollak as Yoda. Stephen Merchant as C-3PO. And Rainn Wilson in the incredibly demanding role of Chewbacca.
Man oh man. How cool is that? Where did this take place you wonder? Los Angeles, of course. At the Ace Theater in particular. Past readings have including an all-female cast for GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, and an all-black cast for REDERVOIR DOGS. Apparently, and understandably, these things sell out fast, and are jam packed with movie lovers, having a great time getting an alternate universe take on some of our favorite movies. Holy heck, this sounds like something worth flying out to La-La-Land for! It happens once a month, so SoCal readers, get on it! Go HERE, and you should be able to find more info about next months Live Reading.

Tsui Hark, the legendary Hong Kong action director, seems to be at his most explosive (and if you

know his work, that's saying a LOT) with his new action epic THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN. It's opening in China tomorrow, on Christmas Day, and will be followed by a US release on January 2'nd, and then hit Canadian screens on january 9th. yes, it's chock full o' CGI, a given these days, but the trailer looks pretty awesome. And hey, it's got Tony Leung, one of my favorite HK action stars, so bring it on I say! here is the plot synopsis, courtesy of Well Go -
"Tsui Hark's thrilling adaptation of Qu Bo's beloved adventure novel stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as a ruthless bandit, ruling the lands of Northeast China from his fortress on Tiger Mountain. A captain of the Liberation Army (LIN Gengxin) launches a counter-insurgency against the dictator with a skilled investigator (ZHANG Hanyu) sent to destroy the gang from the inside".
We'll be talking about it soon on THE BONUS MATERIAL PODCAST, and my official review will be dropping at BIG SHINY ROBOT in a couple of days, so keep your ears and eyes open for that. In the meantime, check out the teaser below.

A documentary on Christmas music, courtesy of Oscillosope Pictures, featuring Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, Run from Run DMC, and John Waters? What's to say...except a very loud "YES PLEASE!" I just signed up to Amazon Prime so I can rent JINGLE BELL ROCKS today. You should too!



I may be late to the party on this one, but damn this sounds great. A new TARZAN film, directed by David Yates ( a bunch of HARRY POTTER films) this new take looks to be headed in the right direction. The last version I truly loved was GREYSTOKE, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN. And now with advances in CGI (that's right, I'm not a hater if it's done well...and I'm pointing to DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) this could truly bring the epic scope of the Edgar Rice Burroughs mega-classic that has always eluded a screen version. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou, Christoph Waltz, Alexander Skarsgård, and Margot Robbie, and slated for a July 1'st, 2016 release, this one has me pretty excited, especially after reading the plot synopsis, which is as follows -

"It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash."

For more Tarzan goodness, check out the old Filmation cartoon, which is still one of my favorite iterations. You can poke around on Youtube for episodes, and they're totally worth it. Look for stuff on that show to surface in our ongoing ANIMATED SHOWS THAT WILL MAKE YOU COOLER THAN THE OTHER KIDS to boot.



~ Sean Smithson